Coaxial contra-rotating cutting assembly

ABSTRACT

The invention generally relates to intraluminal procedures, and, more particularly, to a contra-rotating cutting assembly for use with an atherectomy device to remove occlusive material from an occluded lumen, such as a blood vessel or other body lumen. The contra-rotating cutting assembly includes a rotatable housing having a distal end, an opposing proximal end and a lumen extending between the distal and proximal ends. The housing is configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis in a first direction. The cutting assembly further includes a rotatable cutter head positioned within at least a portion of the lumen of the housing and in coaxial alignment with the housing. The cutter head is configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis in a second direction opposite the first direction.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/198,899, filed Jun. 30, 2016, entitled COAXIAL CONTRA-ROTATINGCUTTING ASSEMBLY, which claims the benefit of and priority to, under 35U.S.C. § 119(e), U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/186,633, filedJun. 30, 2015, entitled COAXIAL CONTRA-ROTATING CUTTING ASSEMBLY. Eachof the above applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference intheir entireties for all that they teach and for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to intraluminal procedures, and,more particularly, to a contra-rotating cutting assembly for use with anatherectomy device to remove occlusive material from an occluded lumen,such as a blood vessel or other body lumen.

BACKGROUND

Millions of people suffer and die from various forms of cardiovasculardisease, including coronary artery disease and peripheral vasculardisease (also known as peripheral arterial disease). Coronary arterydisease and peripheral vascular disease can arise due to the narrowingof the arteries by atherosclerosis (also called arteriosclerosis).Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease and occurs when fat,cholesterol, and other substances build up on the walls of arteries andform fleshy or hard/calcified structures called plaques/lesions. Asplaque forms within the native arterial wall, the artery may narrow andbecome less flexible, which may make it more difficult for blood to flowtherethrough. In the peripheral arteries, the plaque is typically notlocalized, but can extend in length along the axis of the artery for asmuch as 10 mm or more (in some instance up to 400 mm or more).

Coronary artery disease develops when the coronary arteries becomedamaged or diseased, generally as a result of plaque deposits within thearteries. Such plaque deposits result in narrowing of the arteries,decrease in blood flow to the heart, and eventually cause chest pain(angina), shortness of breath, or other coronary artery disease signsand symptoms. A complete blockage can cause a heart attack and death.Peripheral vascular disease develops when narrowed arteries reduce bloodflow to parts of the body outside of the hearth and brain, such as thelimbs. Upon developing peripheral vasculature disease, a person'sextremities, usually their legs, fail to receive enough blood flow tokeep up with demand. Complications of peripheral vasculature disease mayinclude activity-induced claudication sores that do not heal, ulcers,gangrene, tissue loss, or infections in the extremities. In rare cases,if left untreated, amputation may be necessary.

Endovascular clearing procedures to reduce or remove the obstructionsfrom within an artery are known. Vascular specialists can now choosefrom a variety of endovascular technologies, ranging from traditionalapproaches, such as percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTA)and self-expanding nitinol stents to newer advancements, includingatherectomy catheters and drug-eluting balloons and stents. In balloonangioplasty, for example, a physician may advance a collapsed,intravascular balloon catheter into a narrowed artery, and may inflatethe balloon to macerate and/or displace plaque against the vessel wall.A successful angioplasty may help reopen the artery and allow forimproved blood flow. Often, balloon angioplasty is performed inconjunction with the placement of a stent or scaffold structure withinthe artery to help minimize re-narrowing of the artery. Balloonangioplasty, however, can stretch the artery and induce scar tissueformation, while the placement of a stent can cut arterial tissue andalso induce scar tissue formation. Scar tissue formation may lead torestenosis of the artery. In some instances, balloon angioplasty canalso rip the vessel wall.

Atherectomy is another treatment methodology for atherosclerosis.Atherectomy involves the use of an intravascular device to mechanicallyremove (e.g., debulk) plaque from the wall of the artery, therebyreducing the risk of stretching, cutting, or dissecting the arterialwall and causing tissue damage that leads to restenosis. In someinstances, atherectomy may be used to treat restenosis by removing scartissue.

Current atherectomy treatments suffer from structural and performancelimitations. For example, some current atherectomy devices with rotatingburrs generally are not configured to capture particles that arereleased as the burr grinds/sands tissue, which may result in diminisheddownstream blood flow resulting from particle residue. Additionally,these rotating burrs may cause hemolysis, and are generally limited asan adjunct therapy to angioplasty. Other systems may include expandablecutters with foldable/movable cutting wings and vacuum-driven aspirationsupplied via a vacuum pump, which may cause the artery to collapse on tothe cutter and perforate the arterial wall. Other atherectomy systemsmay include a side-window eccentric cutter and distal nosecone whichreceives material from the cutter. Because the nosecone can only hold alimited volume of plaque, a surgeon may need to repeatedly withdraw thecutter and flush plaque and other material from the nosecone.

SUMMARY

The invention is directed to a cutting assembly configured to maximizethe removal and clearing of obstructions or occlusive material withinbody lumens, particularly the vasculature. The features of the cuttingassembly of the present invention allow for improved control over theremoval of occlusive materials and further ensure collection of a morecohesive unit of material, thereby overcoming drawbacks of currentatherectomy devices, which lack the ability to effectively captureadditional particles of material that may otherwise dislodge during aprocedure and may lead to embolization of a downstream vessel.

The cutting assembly of the present disclosure is able to overcome thedrawbacks of current atherectomy devices by providing a rotatable cutterhead and a separately rotatable housing, each of which is capable ofrotating in opposite directions relative to one another along a commonaxis so as to allow contra-rotation. The contra-rotatable cuttingassembly of the present disclosure provides a distinct means of cuttingand conveying occlusive material and addresses the drawbacks of currentdevices. In particular, rotation of the housing in an opposing directionof the cutter head may reduce or entirely prevent some effects of therotating cutter head. For example, rotation of the housing may cancelout cutter-induced swirl within the bloodstream. Additionally,contra-rotation may further increase the amount of material captured.For example, rotation of the housing in an opposing direction may reducethe radial velocity component of excised tissue particles (e.g.,flinging of particles caused by cutter head during cutting), therebylessening the risk of particle loss and further improves embolic captureperformance. In some embodiments, the housing may include a cutting edgeat a distal end, such that the housing may further function as a coringcutter upon contact between the distal end and occlusive material,thereby improving the cutting effectiveness of the cutting assembly andmay further increase the ability of an atherectomy device to clear longtotal occlusions in a single pass with little or no clogging.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a contra-rotatable cuttingassembly for cutting occlusive material from within a body lumen. Thecutting assembly includes a rotatable housing having a distal end, anopposing proximal end and a lumen extending between the distal andproximal ends. The housing is configured to rotate about a longitudinalaxis in a first direction. The cutting assembly further includes arotatable cutter head positioned within at least a portion of the lumenof the housing and in coaxial alignment with the housing. The cutterhead is configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis in a seconddirection opposite the first direction.

The cutting assembly further includes a contra-rotation gear assemblypositioned within the housing and configured to drive rotation of atleast the housing in response to rotation of the cutter head. In someembodiments, the gear assembly includes a first crown gear coupled tothe cutter head and configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis inthe second direction, at least one spur gear in engagement with thefirst crown gear and configured to rotate in response to rotation of thefirst crown gear, and a second crown gear in engagement with the atleast one spur gear and coupled to the housing. The second crown gear isconfigured to rotate about the longitudinal axis in the first directionin response to rotation of the at least one spur gear to thereby impartrotational force upon the housing and cause the housing to rotate aboutthe longitudinal axis in the first direction opposite the seconddirection of rotation of the cutter head.

The cutter head generally includes a cutting edge or surface configuredto excise, or otherwise shear, occlusive material upon contacttherewith. For example, in some embodiments, cutter head includes atleast one helical flute having a cutting edge configured to excise orshear occlusive material upon contact therewith. The at least onehelical flute may be configured to convey excised material along alength of the cutter head in a direction toward the proximal end of thehousing in response to rotation of the cutter head. In some embodiments,the distal end of the housing may include a cutting surface or edgeconfigured to excise or shear occlusive material upon contact therewith.Accordingly, the housing may effectively function as a coring device.

The cutting assembly may be used to clear or otherwise clearobstructions or occlusive material within a variety of body lumens,particularly vasculature. Accordingly, the cutting assembly may beappropriately sized so as to fit with different sized body lumens (e.g.,small, medium, large arteries). In some embodiments, the housing has anouter diameter in the range of 1.5 mm to 8 mm. In some embodiments, thehousing has an outer diameter in the range of 2 mm to 3 mm. Yet still,in some embodiments, the housing has an outer diameter of 2.4 mm.

The cutting assembly further includes a ferrule coupled to the proximalend of the housing and configured to couple the cutting assembly to anatherectomy device. Furthermore, the cutter head is configured to becoupled to a rotating member of an atherectomy device configured totransmit rotational energy to the cutter head and cause the cutter headto rotate about the longitudinal axis.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a device for cuttingand removing occlusive material from within a body lumen. The deviceincludes a catheter body having a distal end, a proximal end and a lumenextending there between. The catheter body is sized and configured foraxial advancement within a body lumen. The device further includes atorque shaft positioned within at least a portion of the lumen of thecatheter and coupled to a rotating mechanism (e.g., an electric,pneumatic, fluid, gas, or other motor). The device further includes acontra-rotatable cutting assembly positioned at the distal end of thecatheter body and coupled to the torque shaft to receive rotationalenergy therefrom. The cutting assembly includes a rotatable housinghaving a distal end, an opposing proximal end and a lumen extendingbetween the distal and proximal ends. The housing is configured torotate about a longitudinal axis in a first direction. The cuttingassembly further includes a rotatable cutter head positioned within atleast a portion of the lumen of the housing and in coaxial alignmentwith the housing. The cutter head is configured to rotate about thelongitudinal axis in a second direction opposite the first direction.The cutting assembly further includes a contra-rotation gear assemblypositioned within the housing and configured to drive rotation of atleast the housing in response to rotation of the torque shaft and cutterhead.

In some embodiments, the gear assembly may include a first crown gear, asecond crown gear, and at least one spur gear positioned between and inengagement with both the first and second crown gears. The first crowngear is coupled to at least one of the torque shaft and cutter head andconfigured to rotate about the longitudinal axis in the second directionin response to rotation of the torque shaft. The at least one spur gearis configured to rotate in response to rotation of the first crown gearand thereby cause the second crown gear to rotate about the longitudinalaxis in the first direction. The second crown gear is coupled to thehousing and configured to impart rotational force thereto to cause thehousing to rotate about the longitudinal axis in the first directionopposite the second direction of rotation of the cutter head.

As previously described, the cutter head generally includes a cuttingedge or surface configured to excise, or otherwise shear, occlusivematerial upon contact therewith. For example, in some embodiments,cutter head includes at least one helical flute having a cutting edgeconfigured to excise or shear occlusive material upon contact therewith.The at least one helical flute may be configured to convey excisedmaterial along a length of the cutter head in a direction toward theproximal end of the housing in response to rotation of the cutter head.The torque shaft may include an external threading helically wound aboutthe torque shaft along a length thereof and configured to conveymaterial conveyed into the housing by the cutter head further proximallyalong the catheter body for discharge. Accordingly, the torque shaft mayfurther serve as an auger type system or an Archimedes-type screw thatconveys the debris and material generated during the procedure away fromthe operative site.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an atherectomy system including acontra-rotatable cutting assembly consistent with the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a contra-rotatable cuttingassembly consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the cutting assembly of FIG.2, a portion of which is shown in phantom illustrating thecontra-rotation gear assembly consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the contra-rotation gearassembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side view, partly in section, of the cutting assembly ofFIG. 2, illustrating the cutter head coupled to a torque shaft.

FIG. 6 is a front view (facing the distal end of the housing) of thecutting assembly of FIG. 2 illustrating contra-rotation of the cuttinghead and housing.

FIG. 7 depicts a side view, partly in section, of a body lumen andcutting and removal of occlusive material therefrom with an atherectomysystem consistent with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is directed to a cutting assembly configured tomaximize the removal and clearing of obstructions or occlusive materialwithin body lumens, particularly the vasculature. The features of thecutting assembly of the present invention allow for improved controlover the removal of occlusive materials and further ensure collection ofa more cohesive unit of material, thereby overcoming drawbacks ofcurrent atherectomy devices, which lack the ability to effectivelycapture additional particles of material that may otherwise dislodgeduring a procedure and may lead to embolization of a downstream vessel.

By way of overview, the present invention provides a contra-rotatablecutting assembly for cutting occlusive material from within a bodylumen. The cutting assembly includes a rotatable housing having a distalend, an opposing proximal end and a lumen extending between the distaland proximal ends. The housing is configured to rotate about alongitudinal axis in a first direction. The cutting assembly furtherincludes a rotatable cutter head positioned within at least a portion ofthe lumen of the housing and in coaxial alignment with the housing. Thecutter head is configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis in asecond direction opposite the first direction. The cutting assemblyfurther includes a contra-rotation gear assembly positioned within thehousing and configured to drive rotation of at least the housing inresponse to rotation of the cutter head. In some embodiments, the gearassembly includes a first crown gear coupled to the cutter head andconfigured to rotate about the longitudinal axis in the seconddirection, at least one spur gear in engagement with the first crowngear and configured to rotate in response to rotation of the first crowngear, and a second crown gear in engagement with the at least one spurgear and coupled to the housing. The second crown gear is configured torotate about the longitudinal axis in the first direction in response torotation of the at least one spur gear to thereby impart rotationalforce upon the housing and cause the housing to rotate about thelongitudinal axis in the first direction opposite the second directionof rotation of the cutter head.

The cutter head generally includes a cutting edge or surface configuredto excise, or otherwise shear, occlusive material upon contacttherewith. For example, in some embodiments, cutter head includes atleast one helical flute having a cutting edge configured to excise orshear occlusive material upon contact therewith. The at least onehelical flute may be configured to convey excised material along alength of the cutter head in a direction toward the proximal end of thehousing in response to rotation of the cutter head. In some embodiments,the distal end of the housing may include a cutting surface or edgeconfigured to excise or shear occlusive material upon contact therewith.Accordingly, the housing may effectively function as a coring device.

The cutting assembly may be used to clear or otherwise clearobstructions or occlusive material within a variety of body lumens,particularly vasculature. Accordingly, the cutting assembly may beappropriately sized so as to fit with different sized body lumens (e.g.,small, medium, large arteries). In some embodiments, the housing has anouter diameter in the range of 1.5 mm to 8 mm. In some embodiments, thehousing has an outer diameter in the range of 2 mm to 3 mm. Yet still,in some embodiments, the housing has an outer diameter of 2.4 mm.

Accordingly, the cutting assembly of the present disclosure is able toovercome the drawbacks of current atherectomy devices by providing arotatable cutter head and a separately rotatable housing, each of whichis capable of rotating in opposite directions relative to one anotheralong a common axis so as to allow contra-rotation. The contra-rotatablecutting assembly of the present disclosure provides a distinct means ofcutting and conveying occlusive material and addresses the drawbacks ofcurrent devices. In particular, rotation of the housing in an opposingdirection of the cutter head may reduce or entirely prevent some effectsof the rotating cutter head. For example, rotation of the housing maycancel out cutter-induced swirl within the bloodstream. Additionally,contra-rotation may further increase the amount of material captured.For example, rotation of the housing in an opposing direction may reducethe radial velocity component of excised tissue particles (e.g.,flinging of particles caused by cutter head during cutting), therebylessening the risk of particle loss and further improves embolic captureperformance. In some embodiments, the housing may include a cutting edgeat a distal end, such that the housing may further function as a coringcutter upon contact between the distal end and occlusive material,thereby improving the cutting effectiveness of the cutting assembly andmay further increase the ability of an atherectomy device to clear longtotal occlusions in a single pass with little or no clogging.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an atherectomy system 10 including acontra-rotatable cutting assembly 100 consistent with the presentdisclosure. Described herein are various embodiments of a cuttingassembly for use in removing occlusive material, such as for performingan atherectomy. Specifically, the various elements described here may beconfigured to be incorporated into any of the atherectomy devicesdescribed in any one of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/551,191;11/551,193; 11/551,203; 11/567,715; 13/652,352; 13/691,485; 14/069,303;and Ser. No. 14/329,805, the content of each of which is herebyincorporated by reference its entirety. Accordingly, the atherectomydevice 12, to which a cutting assembly described herein may be coupled,may generally include a handle and at least one catheter connecting thehandle and the cutter assembly. The atherectomy device may include atorque shaft, which may extend through the catheter, and which may beconfigured to rotate a cutter relative to the catheter. In someinstances, the torque shaft may include a conveyor member configured tomove cut occlusive material along the torque shaft, as will be describedin greater detail herein.

As shown in FIG. 1, the atherectomy device 12 may include an elongatedcatheter body 14 sized and configured to be advanced over a guide wire16 within a blood vessel or other body lumen from an externalpercutaneous access site. While shown in FIG. 1 (and FIG. 7) as beingadvanced over a guide wire 16, it should be appreciated that in somevariations, the atherectomy device 12 may be advanced without a guidewire, and in other variations the atherectomy device 12 may comprise aguide wire attached to a distal portion of the atherectomy device 12.The atherectomy device 12 may also include a handle 18, which may becoupled to the proximal (i.e., closest to the user) end of the catheter14. The handle 18 may be sized and configured to be held and manipulatedby a user outside the patient's body. The atherectomy device 12 mayfurther comprise a cutter assembly 100 at the distal end of the catheter14. Generally, the cutter assembly 100 may act to cut and captureocclusive material, and thereby remove the occlusive material from thevessel, which may open the vessel to blood flow.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a contra-rotatable cuttingassembly 100 consistent with the present disclosure. As shown, thecutting assembly 100 includes a rotatable cutter head 102 which may beat least partially housed within a rotatable housing 104. The cuttingassembly 100 further includes a ferrule 106 configured to join one ormore portions of the cutting assembly 100 (e.g., the housing 104) to adistal end of the catheter 14. As shown, the cutter head 102 includes atleast two helical flutes 108, each of which includes a cutting edge 110configured to excise, or otherwise shear, material upon contacttherewith. The helical flutes 108 may be shaped and/or sized so as toconvey excised material along a length of the cutter head 102 and in adirection toward the housing 104 as the cutter head 102 rotates. Thecutter head 102 further includes a lumen or throughhole 112 configuredto receive the guide wire 16.

It should be noted that the cutter head 102 may include any number offlutes 108 and/or cutting edges 110 in any contemplated configurationand/or design. For example, while the cutting edges 110 of the helicalcutting flutes 108 are shown as curving in a clockwise helical directionwhen viewed from the distal end (see FIG. 6), it should be appreciatedthat in other variations the cutting edges 110 of the cutting flutes 108may have a counterclockwise helical curve when viewed from the distalend. Similarly, while the cutter head 102 is shown has having twocutting flutes 108, it should be appreciated that in other variations,the cutter head 102 may comprise any suitable number of cutting flutes(e.g., one, two, three, four, or more cutting flutes).

Furthermore, the geometry of the cutting flutes 108 may be characterizedwith reference to a combination of angles (or ranges of angles),including rake angle, relief angle, and flute angle. The rake angle maydescribe the angle of the cutting edge 310 relative to the material tobe cut, while the relief angle may be defined as the angle measuredbetween (i) the tangent drawn from the most radially distant edge of thecutting edge 110 and (ii) the tangent drawn along the outer face of thecutting flute 108. Generally, a smaller relief angle may form a moretangential interface with a tissue surface during cutting, which mayreduce the likelihood that a cutting edge may snag or otherwise catch ontissue during cutting. A larger relief angle may provide more aggressivecutting.

The housing 104 generally includes a distal end 114, a proximal end 116(coupled to the ferrule 106) and a lumen extending there between. Thehousing 104 may be open at its distal-most end 114 such that thedistal-most end of the cutter head 102 may project a distance distallyfrom the housing 104. Accordingly, at least a portion of the cutter head102 is enclosed within the housing 104. More specifically, the cutterhead 102 is positioned within the lumen of the housing and in coaxialalignment therewith, such that the cutter head 102 and housing 104 sharea common axis (longitudinal axis A). As will be described in greaterdetail herein, the cutter head 102 and housing 104 are configured torotate about the longitudinal axis X in opposing directions, therebyproviding contra-rotation which provides an improved means of cuttingand removing material during a procedure.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the cutting assembly 100. Aportion of the housing 104 is shown in phantom so as to illustrate acontra-rotation gear assembly 118 positioned within the housing 104 andconfigured to provide contra-rotation of the cutter head 102 and housing104 relative to one another. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view ofthe contra-rotation gear assembly 18. As shown in FIG. 3, duringoperation, the cutter head 102 and housing 104 are each configured torotate about longitudinal axis X in opposite directions. For example,when viewed from the distal end (see FIG. 6) the cutter head 102 may beconfigured to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, as indicated byarrow A, while the housing 104 may be configured to rotate in aclockwise direction, as indicated by arrow B, thereby resulting incontra-rotation, as both the cutter head 102 and housing 104 share acommon axis X.

Referring to FIG. 4, the gear assembly 118 may generally include a firstcrown gear 120, a second crown gear 122, and one or more spur gears 124positioned there between. As generally understood, the first and secondcrown gears 120, 122 are gears which have teeth that project at rightangles to the face of the wheel or circular body of the gear.Accordingly, the first and second crown gears 120, 122 are a type ofbevel gear where the pitch cone angle is 90 degrees. It should be notedthat the first and second crown gears 120, 122 are coaxially alignedwith the cutter head 102 and housing 104 (e.g., share common axis X),while each spur gear 124 is generally positioned along a perimeter andbetween the first and second crown gears 120, 122 and in engagement withthe teeth of the first and second crown gears. The first crown gear 120is generally coupled to the cutter head 102 (or the torque shaft drivingthe cutter head 102). Accordingly, rotation of the first crown gear 120corresponds to rotation of the cutter head 102. Thus, upon movement ofthe cutter head 102, the first crown gear 120 is configured to rotate inthe same direction, as indicated by arrow C. Each spur gear 124 inengagement with the first crown gear 120 is configured to rotate inresponse to rotation of the first crown gear 120. The spur gears 124 areconfigured to rotate about an axis that is generally perpendicular tothe common axis X along which the first and second crown gears 120, 122lie, as indicated by arrow D. The second crown gear 122 is also inengagement with the spur gears 124. Accordingly, the second crown gear122 is configured to rotate about axis X in response to rotation of thespur gears 124 in a direction opposite the direction of the first crowngear 120, as indicated by arrow E. Thus, if the first crown gear 120rotates in a clockwise direction, the spur gears 124 will force thesecond crown gear 122 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, andvice-a-versa. The second crown gear 122 is coupled to the housing 104and configured to impart rotational force thereupon so as to cause thehousing 104 to rotate in a corresponding direction. Accordingly, thecontra-rotation gear assembly 118 is configured to cause contra-rotationof the cutter head 102 and housing 104 relative to one another.

FIG. 5 is a side view, partly in section, of the cutting assembly 100illustrating the cutter head 102 coupled to a rotating member of anatherectomy device configured to transmit rotational force to the cutterhead 102. As previously described, the cutting assembly 100 may be aseparate add-on type product and may be configured to be interchangeablewith other cutting assemblies on a single atherectomy device, such asdevice 12 in FIG. 1. Accordingly, the cutting assembly 100 may be a“bolt-on” type upgrade and may be compatible with existing devices. Forexample, the cutting assembly 100 may simply be placed on a distal endof a catheter body 14 such that a rotating member, such as a torqueshaft 128, may be received within the housing 104 and releasably coupledto the cutting head 102. Thus, the cutting head 102 may receiverotational force therefrom so as to cause the cutter head 102 andhousing 104 to rotate relative to one another (via the contra-rotationalgear assembly 118) for improved removal of an occlusive material. Thus,existing designs of atherectomy devices need not be changed, as thecutting assembly 100 of the present disclosure is compatible.

As shown in FIG. 5, a torque shaft 128, which may be positioned withinthe catheter 14, may rotationally connect a motor (not shown) to thecutter head 102. Specifically, the motor may rotate the torque shaft128, which may in turn rotate the cutter 102 within the housing 104about axis X. As previously described, the first crown gear 120 iscoupled to at least one of the cutter head 102 and torque shaft 128. Forexample, the first crown gear 120 may be coupled to a portion 128′ ofthe torque shaft 128, such that, upon rotation of the shaft 128, thefirst crown gear 120 rotates in a corresponding direction. The firstcrown gear 120 may be may be physically coupled to the cutter head 102or torque shaft 128 by any known means (e.g., by adhesives, welding, orthe like). As shown, the spur gears 124 are positioned between the firstand second crown gears 120, 122 and may be generally held in astationary position via a fastener 126, such as a pin or the like, whilestill allowing for rotation. Accordingly, upon rotation of the firstcrown gear 120, the spur gears 124 are configured to rotate, therebycausing the second crown gear 122 to rotate in an opposing directionrelative to the first crown gear 120. The second crown gear 122 isphysically coupled to a portion of the housing 104 so as to cause thehousing 104 to correspondingly rotate in response to movement of thecutter head 102 and shaft 128. Accordingly, rotation of the shaft 128causes both the cutter head 102 and housing 104 to rotate in acontra-rotational pattern for improved means of removing occlusivematerial from a body lumen, as shown in FIG. 6. It should be noted thatthe ferrule 106 may join the cutter assembly 100 and the catheter 14 soas to allow relative rotation between the catheter 100 and the housing104. The housing 104 may be configured to rotate at the same speed asthe cutter head 102. In some embodiments, the housing may be configuredto rotate at a different speed than the cutter head.

As previously described, the torque shaft 128 may include a means ofconveying debris and excised material from the cutter head 102 throughthe housing 104 and into the catheter 14. For example, as shown in FIG.5, the torque shaft 128 may include an external threading 130 helicallywound about the shaft along a length thereof, generally resembling anArchimedes screw. The external threading 140 may be useful in conveyingcut occlusive material proximally along the catheter 14. Accordingly,when the cutter assembly 100 cuts and captures occlusive material (e.g.,when the helical flutes 108 of the cutter head 102 convey capturedocclusive materials to the external threading), the external threadingmay rotate in common with the torque shaft 128 so as to convey the cutand captures occlusive materials it receives from the cutter assembly100 further back (proximally) along the catheter body 14 into the handle18 for subsequent discharge.

FIG. 7 depicts a side view, partly in section, of a body lumen 200 andcutting and removal of occlusive material 202 therefrom with anatherectomy system 10 consistent with the present disclosure. As shown,the cutting assembly 100 is configured to cut and remove occlusivematerial 202 from within a body lumen 200, such as an artery, so as toclear a passage to allow for improved blood flow. As generallyunderstood, the cutting assembly 100 may be used to clear or otherwiseclear obstructions or occlusive material within a variety of bodylumens, particularly vasculature. Accordingly, the cutting assembly maybe appropriately sized so as to fit with different sized body lumens(e.g., small, medium, large arteries). In some embodiments, the housinghas an outer diameter in the range of 1.5 mm to 8 mm. In someembodiments, the housing has an outer diameter in the range of 2 mm to 3mm. Yet still, in some embodiments, the housing has an outer diameter of2.4 mm.

The cutting assembly of the present disclosure is able to overcome thedrawbacks of current atherectomy devices by providing a rotatable cutterhead and a separately rotatable housing, each of which is capable ofrotating in opposite directions relative to one another along a commonaxis so as to allow contra-rotation. The contra-rotatable cuttingassembly of the present disclosure provides a distinct means of cuttingand conveying occlusive material and addresses the drawbacks of currentdevices. In particular, rotation of the housing in an opposing directionof the cutter head may reduce or entirely prevent some effects of therotating cutter head. For example, rotation of the housing may cancelout cutter-induced swirl within the bloodstream. Additionally,contra-rotation may further increase the amount of material captured.For example, rotation of the housing in an opposing direction may reducethe radial velocity component of excised tissue particles (e.g.,flinging of particles caused by cutter head during cutting), therebylessening the risk of particle loss and further improves embolic captureperformance. In some embodiments, the housing may include a cutting edgeat a distal end, such that the housing may further function as a coringcutter upon contact between the distal end and occlusive material,thereby improving the cutting effectiveness of the cutting assembly andmay further increase the ability of an atherectomy device to clear longtotal occlusions in a single pass with little or no clogging.

While several embodiments of the present disclosure have been describedand illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readilyenvision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing thefunctions and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of theadvantages described herein, and each of such variations and/ormodifications is deemed to be within the scope of the presentdisclosure. More generally, those skilled in the art will readilyappreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, andconfigurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that theactual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations willdepend upon the specific application or applications for which theteachings of the present disclosure is/are used.

Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain usingno more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specificembodiments of the disclosure described herein. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way ofexample only and that, within the scope of the appended claims andequivalents thereto, the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than asspecifically described and claimed. The present disclosure is directedto each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/ormethod described herein. In addition, any combination of two or moresuch features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, ifsuch features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods arenot mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood tocontrol over dictionary definitions, definitions in documentsincorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the definedterms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in thespecification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to thecontrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in theclaims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements soconjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some casesand disjunctively present in other cases. Other elements may optionallybe present other than the elements specifically identified by the“and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elementsspecifically identified, unless clearly indicated to the contrary.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in oneembodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout thisspecification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics maybe combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used asterms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention,in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalentsof the features shown and described (or portions thereof), and it isrecognized that various modifications are possible within the scope ofthe claims. Accordingly, the claims are intended to cover all suchequivalents.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

References and citations to other documents, such as patents, patentapplications, patent publications, journals, books, papers, webcontents, have been made throughout this disclosure. All such documentsare hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for allpurposes.

EQUIVALENTS

Various modifications of the invention and many further embodimentsthereof, in addition to those shown and described herein, will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the full contents of thisdocument, including references to the scientific and patent literaturecited herein. The subject matter herein contains important information,exemplification and guidance that can be adapted to the practice of thisinvention in its various embodiments and equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A contra-rotatable cutting assembly for cuttingocclusive material from within a body lumen, said cutting assemblycomprising: a rotatable housing having a distal end, an opposingproximal end and a lumen extending between the distal and proximal ends,said housing configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis in a firstdirection; and a rotatable cutter head positioned within at least aportion of the lumen of said housing and in coaxial alignment with saidhousing, said cutter head configured to rotate about said longitudinalaxis in a second direction opposite the first direction.
 2. The cuttingassembly of claim 1, further comprising a contra-rotation gear assemblypositioned within said housing and configured to drive rotation of atleast said housing in response to rotation of said cutter head.
 3. Thecutting assembly of claim 2, wherein said gear assembly comprises: afirst crown gear coupled to said cutter head and configured to rotateabout said longitudinal axis in said second direction; at least one spurgear in engagement with said first crown gear and configured to rotatein response to rotation of said first crown gear; and a second crowngear in engagement with said at least one spur gear and coupled to saidhousing, said second crown gear configured to rotate about saidlongitudinal axis in said first direction in response to rotation ofsaid at least one spur gear to thereby impart rotational force upon saidhousing and cause said housing to rotate about said longitudinal axis insaid first direction opposite said second direction of rotation of saidcutter head.
 4. The cutting assembly of claim 3, wherein said firstcrown gear is positioned closer to said proximal end of said housingthan said second crown gear.
 5. The cutting assembly of claim 3, whereineach of said first and second crown gears has a diameter less than adiameter of said lumen of said housing.
 6. The cutting assembly of claim1, wherein said cutter head comprises at least one cutting edgeconfigured to excise or shear occlusive material upon contact therewith.7. The cutting assembly of claim 1, wherein said cutter head comprisesat least one helical flute having a cutting edge configured to excise orshear occlusive material upon contact therewith.
 8. The cutting assemblyof claim 7, wherein said at least one helical flute is configured toconvey excised material along a length of said cutter head in adirection toward said proximal end of said housing in response torotation of said cutter head.
 9. The cutting assembly of claim 1,wherein said distal end of said housing has a cutting surface or edgeconfigured to excise or shear occlusive material upon contact therewith.10. The cutting assembly of claim 1, wherein said cutter head furthercomprises a lumen configured to receive a guide wire therethrough. 11.The cutting assembly of claim 1, wherein said housing has an outerdiameter in the range of 1.5 mm to 8 mm.
 12. The cutting assembly ofclaim 11, wherein said housing has an outer diameter in the range of 2mm to 3 mm.
 13. The cutting assembly of claim 12, wherein said housinghas an outer diameter of 2.4 mm.
 14. The cutting assembly of claim 1,further comprising a ferrule coupled to said proximal end of saidhousing and configured to couple said cutting assembly to an atherectomydevice.
 15. The cutting assembly of claim 1, wherein said cutter head isconfigured to be coupled to a rotating member of an atherectomy deviceconfigured to transmit rotational energy to said cutter head and causesaid cutter head to rotate about said longitudinal axis.